Eagles bring in Mark Sanchez

Thursday

Mar 27, 2014 at 11:50 PMMar 28, 2014 at 12:20 AM

Mark Sanchez and Michael Vick have traded places.

Bounced out of New York after the Jets signed Vick last Friday, Sanchez agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Eagles haven't officially announced the move.

Sanchez spent last season on injured reserve after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder in a preseason game. He led the Jets to the AFC championship game his first two seasons in the NFL before struggling the next two. Sanchez had an NFL-leading 52 turnovers in 2012-13.

Sanchez was the fifth overall pick in the 2009 draft and drew comparisons to Joe Namath in New York. He had seemingly beat out rookie Geno Smith for the starting job in a preseason competition last August before getting hurt.

Sanchez has thrown 68 touchdown passes, 69 interceptions and lost 20 fumbles. His career completion percentage is just 55.1 and his passer rating is only 77.1.

While Vick will compete with Smith for the starting job in New York, Sanchez is coming to Philadelphia as insurance. Foles had a breakout sophomore season and led the Eagles to the NFC East title after replacing an injured Vick in Week 5. Foles threw 29 touchdowns and only two interceptions in 11 starts, including a playoff loss to New Orleans.

The Eagles needed a veteran quarterback after losing Vick. Second-year-pro Matt Barkley, who replaced Sanchez at USC, is also on the roster.

''I think Mark is a very, very good athlete,'' Eagles coach Chip Kelly told reporters Wednesday at the owners' meetings in Orlando. ''He's started 60-some-odd games in this league. He's got good experience. He has a lot of positive qualities.''

Dolphins bring in Moreno

Running back Knowshon Moreno agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Miami Dolphins, and they hope he'll enliven a ground game that ranked 26th in the NFL last season.

Moreno, a five-year veteran, had his best season in 2013 when he rushed for 1,038 yards, caught 60 passes and scored 13 touchdowns playing with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. He ranked fifth in the NFL with 1,586 yards from scrimmage, and tied for fourth with 10 rushing touchdowns.

Montee Ball, a rookie last year, made Moreno expendable in Denver.

Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas were the Dolphins' primary ball carriers last season, and both remain on the roster. Moreno has a career average of 4.1 yards per carry, compared to 4.2 for Miller and 3.6 for Thomas.

The Dolphins' offensive line has been a big reason for their sputtering ground game. The unit also gave up a franchise-record 58 sacks and was rocked by the team's bullying scandal last year.

Details revealed in arrest report

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay had $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his vehicle when he was arrested on suspicion of intoxicated driving and other charges, according to the arrest report.

The cash was in Irsay's wallet, metal briefcase and two laundry bags. The briefcase and bags, which were on the front passenger-side floor, also contained bottles of pills of various colors, including orange, green and white ones, the police report states.

Irsay, 54, denied being drunk when he was arrested in suburban Carmel on March 16, although the billionaire was so disoriented that officers made him sit on the hood of a patrol car to keep him from falling, the report said. The arresting officer said he ''believed Irsay to be intoxicated on a substance other than alcohol,'' according to the report.

The arrest report listed a dozen pieces of evidence identified as prescription drugs, but it didn't specify which drugs they were. Irsay told the officer that he had taken several prescription medications that day but had not been drinking.

Lions, Ihedigbo agree to 2-year deal

James Ihedigbo's hard work has paid off.

The Detroit Lions signed Ihedigbo to a $3.1 million, two-year contract, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person, who said the deal included a $750,000 signing bonus, spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been announced.

Ihedigbo earned a spot in the NFL after being an undrafted free agent and a walk-on in college.

The Lions plan to put him in the starting lineup next to safety Glover Quin to replace Louis Delmas, who they released last month.

Ihedigbo ranked second in tackles for Baltimore Ravens last season and had three interceptions after having one in his previous five years in the league. He will be reunited with first-year coach Jim Caldwell and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, both of whom were assistant coaches last year in Baltimore.

He started 12 games in 2011 for the New England Patriots and had 67 tackles, ranking fifth on the team. Ihedigbo made his NFL debut with the New York Jets during the 2008 season. He was cut by the Jets the previous year as an undrafted rookie, who went from being a walk-on to a standout at Massachusetts.

Detroit seems to have accomplished its major goals so far this offseason.

The franchise will likely shift its focus on contract talks with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is scheduled to count more than $20 million against the salary cap in 2014.

Ravens' Rice indicted

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was indicted on a charge he assaulted his fiancee in an elevator at a casino in Atlantic City, N.J. Rice had been charged with simple assault after police said he knocked out Janay Palmer on Feb. 15 at the Revel Casino.

But a grand jury indicted him Thursday on a more serious count of aggravated assault. It carries a three-to-five-year sentence. Palmer also had been charged with simple assault. Prosecutors say that complaint was dismissed.

The team announced the signing on Thursday. Ducasse spent the first four seasons of his career with the New York Jets. He was a second-round draft choice out of UMass in 2010.

Ducasse appeared in all 16 games for the Jets last season and made four starts at guard. He will add depth to the Vikings offensive line, which will return all five starters from last year's unit.

The 26-year-old Ducasse visited Vikings headquarters last week, but left without signing a contract. He had contact with several other teams before ultimately deciding to sign with Minnesota.

Phillips agrees to Titans deal

The Tennessee Titans agreed to a multiyear deal with linebacker Shaun Phillips.

The 10-year veteran ranks ninth with 79½ sacks over the past decade in the NFL. He also has forced 22 forced fumbles in 152 career games with his first nine seasons in San Diego. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound linebacker played all 16 games for Denver last season with 10 sacks, 36 tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles.